Extremely rare in the Lower Mainland, the Western Screech Owl appears to have decided that Pemberton is an okay spot to inhabit.

Spring surveys will take place to get a sense of the status of the species, as well as other owl species, in Pemberton. As an added bonus, community members will gain better knowledge about Western Screech Owls and hopefully become their champions.

If you’re a bit of an insomniac, this would be the perfect gig for you!

Volunteers are required to help with surveys during the following weekday evenings:

Pemberton: March 20, 21, 22, 23, 24; and April 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 (all three weeks being from Sunday to Thursday evening); and

With volunteer help, it’s hoped that there will be multiple teams of two or three persons conducting surveys along designated routes.

Unfortunately no funding was obtained for this project, so reimbursement for time, mileage, and other costs will need to be covered by volunteers. Note that the number of volunteer opportunities will be limited due to the availability of survey equipment. Thus, if you have access to a megaphone or a good portable 12 watt speaker, rechargeable batteries, iPhone/iPod, GPS, and/or quality compass that you’d be willing to use or lend it would be much appreciated.

Skills required for surveys include good hearing, as each team needs someone capable of hearing distant owl calls, the ability to accurately record field data, and a willingness to sacrifice some sleep.

Surveys will start 30 minutes after sunset (between 6 and 8:30 pm) and go until midnight or later, depending on how everyone was feeling. Survey teams would listen for owls and play calls from pre-determined stations along assigned routes and record associated field data. One of the perks of the job would be to hear and perhaps see owl species that are encountered during the survey.

If you’re interested in helping with this project, please contact Greg Ferguson at westernscreechowl1@gmail.com